Cleaning implement.



No. 893,080. PATENTEDJULY 14, 1908. M. KIIBTTNER.

GLEANINGJMP'LEMEN-T. APPLICATION I ILED-MAR.2, 1908.

L Z L III S 1mm witnesses KUETTNER, OF COMFORT, TEXAS.

CLEANING IMPLEMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1908.

Application filed March 2, 1908. Serial No. 418,852.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, MAX KUETTNER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany,residing at Comfort, in the county of Kendall and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cleaning Im lements, ofwhich the following isa speci cation.

This invention is a cleaning implement of novel construction andpossessing peculiar advantages.

It is designed primarily for cleaning oultry houses or coops which havelow ce1 ings whereby ready access is prevented for the use of ordinarycleaning appliances. For instance an ordinary hoe commonly employed forscraping the floors is not adapted to reach into the corners of thestructure to be cleaned, and a broom having arigid fixed handle cannotbe used in many instances for obvious reasons. Furthermore the implementis useful in many other relations, such as in cutting weeds and grassalong garden walks and sweeping the same, removing ice from drinkingtroughs, and so on.

For a full understanding of the invention and the various details ofconstruction, reference is to be had to the following description andthe accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is an end or edge view of the implement showing the handle inposition when the device is used as a digger; Fig. 2 is a verticalsectional view, parts being in elevation, showing the implement whenused as a broom; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of parts of theimplement to be hereinafter described, and Fi 4 is a transverse sectionon theline 44 0 Fig.1. 7

Throughout the following description and on the several figures of thedrawings, similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

The invention in its preferred form includes a main plate or base 10having a sharp edge 11. On one face of said plate, is attached anoperating handle 12, being pivoted between and centrally of a pair ofears 13 attached to said plate by any suitable means, as by riveting.'-Each of the ears 13 is provided with a semicircular slot 13', the centerof curvature of which is the axis of a bolt or cotter 14 which rojectsthrough said ears and the end of the andle 12. A bolt15 having a thumbnut 15 passes through the slots 13' and the hole 12 in the handle,whereby the handle may be locked at any desired angle with relation tothe plate 10. When the device is used as a scraper or hoe, the handlemay be set at substantiallyv a right angle to the said plate or blade10. When it is used as a di ger, as for instance in chopping ice from waks or digging in the ground, the handle will be set in substantialalinement with the blade and extended from its axis oppositely from theedge 11 of the blade 10.

Connected with the member 10 is a sweeping or brushing attachment, thesame being secured thereto by a peculiar device constituting .a part ofthe implement. On each side of the base 10 is a flange 16, the flangesbeing integral with or rigidly secured to said.

member 10 and projecting therefrom substantially at right angles on theside of the same opposite from that to which the handle is connected.Each of the flanges 16 is provided with a longitudinal slot 16substantially parallel with the base plate 10, and the outer ends of theflanges are connected by a crossbar 17 rigidly secured thereto. Thebroom portion of the device comprises a hollow member 18 having endflanges 19, said member being substantially spool-shaped andbeing'mounted between the flanges 16,

and a rod 20 passed through the slots 16 and I said hollow member orspool. The rod 20 is provided with a thumb nut 20 by means of which thespool may be locked in any position of adjustment within the limits ofthe slots 16.

The brush portion B of the broom is constructed' by looping the fibersof the same about the member 18, bringing the free ends of the same inproximity to one another where they are clamped by means of a sheath 21.The sheath is constructed preferably of sheet metal, the edges of whichare curved outwardly from each other as indicated at 21, and in each ofwhich curved edges there lies a correspondingly curved bar 22. Suitablefastening devices such as screws or rivets 23 pass through said bars 22,the curved edges 21' of the sheath, and the body of the brush B. Theloose ends of the fibers of the brush lie beneath the bar 17, or betweenthe bar 17 and the plate 10 whereby they are securely held in positionand protected from abnormal destruction. When the brush is new the spool18 will be located substantially near the inner ends remote from the bar17, but as the brush wears away as by use it may be adjusted from timeto time toward the bar, just so much of the brush projecting beyond theplate at any time as may be desirable. When the implement is used as asweeping device, the handle 12 will be set in a position directlyopposite from that described when the implement is used as a digger.

It will be understood that the implement may be constructed of anysuitable materials and may be made in various sizes according to therequirements and the uses to which it may be applied. Thebrush B may bemade up of any suitable material such as bristles, straws, hickory,wire, or the like. While I have herein set forth the preferredembodiment of the invention, it will be understood that slightmodifications in mechanical structure may be made without departing fromthe spirit of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Upon referring to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings it will be noted thatthe implement may be employed also in the capacity of a rake. With thehandle 12 adjusted so as to constitute the implement as a hoe, or at anyother suitable angle, and preferably with the brush B removed the bluntedge, or the edge opposite the sharp edge 11, shown as being suppliedwith teeth, may be employed for the purposes of crushing clods andleveling and smoothing soil that has been spaded up, or for any of theusual purposes for which a rake may be used.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. The herein described cleaning implement comprising a flat base plate,a handle secured to said plate on one side, a plurality of flangessecured to the other side of the plate, a brush mounted between saidflanges, said brush comprising a spool, a set of flexible sweepingelements looped about the spool, and means to secure said elements tothe spool, and means to secure the brush to the flanges, as set forth.

2. The combination of a flat plate having a sharp edge, a handleadjustably secured to one face of the plate, a brush associated with theopposite face of the plate and lying parallel thereto, and means foradjusting the brush longitudinally of the plate and securing the same inadjusted position.

3. In combination, a base plate, lateral flanges thereon havingopenings, a spool extending between said flanges, means passed throughthe spool and openings in the flanges to secure the spool in place,flexible brush elements looped about the spool and with their free endslying against one another, a sheath embracing the looped portion of thesaid elements, means passed through the brush securing the sheaththereto, and means to protect the free ends of the brush elements.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MAX KUETTN ER.

Witnesses F. MUERDTE, ALFRED SCHMIDT.

